Creamy New England Clam Chowder
A comforting and creamy New England clam chowder made with fresh or canned clams, smoky bacon, and tender potatoes.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2-3 cans canned clams with juice Or fresh littleneck or cherrystone clams
- 4-6 slices bacon For smoke and texture
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2-3 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet), peeled and diced
- 1-1½ cups heavy cream Adjust for richness
- 2 tbsp butter
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme Or a few fresh sprigs
Instructions
Preparation
- Heat a large pot over medium. Add bacon and fry until crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and reserve the bacon fat in the pot.
- Add butter to the bacon fat. Stir in diced onion and celery and cook gently until soft and translucent, about 5–7 minutes.
- Add diced potatoes and the clams with their juice (if canned). Sprinkle in salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir to combine.
Cooking
- Pour in enough water or broth to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 12–15 minutes.
- Lower heat and stir in the heavy cream. Warm through for 4–5 minutes — do not boil hard, or the cream can separate.
- Crumble the reserved bacon and stir most of it into the chowder, reserving some for garnish.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste and ladle into bowls topped with remaining bacon and a sprinkle of thyme.
Notes
Serve hot with crusty bread or oyster crackers. Pair with a simple green salad or a buttered roll. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days.